Destiny wrote:I know it's been a year, but I found this thread not that long ago while I was killing time. It's a great idea, only using 7 polygons for a netmap. I thought about trying my hand at it. Also, while thinking about this concept, I came up with the idea to make netmaps in increments of 7 (7+7=14, 7+7+7=21, etc).

RyokoTK wrote:...but how do you procrastinate on making seven-polygon maps?

Read my quoted line. It's not just 7 poly netmaps I'm making. It's netmaps with increments of 7, meaning, when I finished the first netmap, the next netmap has 14 polygons.

Tim wrote:I'm sorry, but is no one else going to call this out? A five hour game pushed your schedule back an entire week?

I only get an hour a day on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Plus, Mega Man is pretty hard. It took how long to finish the first Zero game. I'm just getting good at Mega Man.

So, this discussion made me decide to take a break from my other mapmaking and pop out some 7 polygon maps of my own. I don't play netmaps so I don't have any intuitive idea for what makes them work or feel broken (weapon placement, etc.) let alone what would make a 7 polygon map work. Still I've made 7 maps with 1 bonus map and 1 alternate version of a map and I've put them up on Simplici7y. I also wrote backstories for each which you can read in the text document that comes with the maps or later in this post.

I started from when Ryoko lasted posted in this thread and finished up today. So, from sketching out ideas on my lunch break at work, mapping, redoing maps to fix glitches, texturing, lighting, adding sounds, and writing the backstory of each map it took me about five days to make 8 maps. And that's while going to work, spending freetime watching Sherlock Holmes (starring Jeremy Brett), playing Stacraft 2, playing Duke Nukem, reading Best American Poetry 1996, and going out of town for New Years Eve. Any procrastinators out there: stop making excuses.

Here are little blurbs and backstories for each map to whet your whistle:

0. Going Nowhere Arena

A very basic, symmetrical arena with some side tunnels. It's just a solid and logical iteration of seven polygons and actually was the last map I designed.

Backstory: Trr'chee Memorial Arena is a prison with no escape. It was designed for combatants to be dropped in and fight each other for the entertainment of higher ranking Pfhor. Then the victor was allowed to starve to death for the entertainment of Enforcers. To test out the facility the Pfhor placed the architect, Architect 1st Class Trr'chee, into the arena by himself. When he starved to death the Pfhor Local Command took this as proof that there were no secret escapes nor flaws in the building. The Memorial Arena saw little use before it was abandoned and allowed to decay at the border of Narr-Pfhor space.

1. Lick My Love Pump

Here, as with other maps, I tried to add complexity through unconventional methods. The waterfalls are meant to block line of sight without blocking movement, and the platform is meant to alter line of sight while creating a variable combat terrain.

Backstory: This purity assurance station, located in the much larger Vanada Water Processing Complex, is where small portions of water are diverted to be tested for contamination or impurity. The Vanada Water Processing Complex is itself responsible for providing clean, healthy water for thousands of Martian citizens. It's operation has gone without a hitch since its opening with the exception of several days during when Martian insurgents took over the Complex in an attempt to gain leverage over the UEG.

2. Mass Hydration

I thought it would be a good idea to use a large pillar of water in one of the maps. I though it would be a good way to block line of sight without blocking movement while also providing a place to escape combat. I also thought it could work if it functioned as a liquid-elevator. I'm not sure how well it works, but it might be better in its alternate version, Mass Elevation.

Backstory: This abandoned S'pht relic lies buried beneath the marshlands of Lh'owen, discovered successively by Pfhor expeditions and later by human ground forces seeking refuge after the capture of Durandal. The massive body of water spilling through the chamber is fed by the marshes above and flows to underground estuaries which in turn replenish the marshes. The purpose of this engineering feat is a mystery since the water isn't being filtered nor is it being used to produce hydroelectric power. Theories as to this chamber's purpose have ranged from a S'pht bunker dating to the days of their inter-clan warfare, a religious monument of some sort, or even a non-lethal method of capturing mass numbers of marshland wildlife.

8. Mass Elevation

An alternate version of Mass Hydration, replacing the pillar of water with a platform. I figured the platform would be a more reliable method of getting to higher areas, and that also it would create a more dynamic map by having a piece of cover that is temporary.

3. Ring Around Receiving

I made a map later in this list, Teleportation Station, with the intention of using teleport polygons as a means of getting to cover quickly. After it was done I decided to make another map with this same principle but in a less chaotic context. Thus, Ring Around Receiving was born. Six rooms surround a tower which can be reached by 3 of the rooms which are teleporters.

Backstory: On Earth, science teams are constantly working on improving existing technologies used in mankind's exploration of space. 15 Eaglecrest Science Facility is one location of bustling scientific activity. Here engineers and scientist work on improving teleportation pad technology by testing different iterations of materials and alternate machinery designs.

4. Spider Loop

This was just a product of doodling and just iterating seven polygon organization. I like various aspects of it, although I'm sure it doesn't work in multiplayer at all.

Backstory: This underground bunker in asteroid Onicis 492 was used by the Republic of Thermopylae during its war against the Independent Asteroid Government of Icarus. Bunkers, however, are not an effective defense once battleroids find their way inside.

5. Teleportation Station

To me it seems that one of the major problems with a seven polygon map is that either there is no cover. I decided that teleportation might be one method of providing the players with an unconventional method of cover. As long as the player is moving they will move normally, but as soon as they stop they teleport to another location and escape their enemy. I have a feeling this map is either hilarious or frustrating to play.

Backstory: A UESC expedition discovered this Jjaro station buried in an asteroid. The facility was immediately placed under restricted access due to several casualties caused by the station's peculiar behavior. The facility is composed of one "tower" surrounded by several chambers which are linked to each other by teleport. Initial assessments suggested this was some form of Jjaro prison, but further UESC investigation has led to the dominant theory that the facility is actually some form of guard tower with the surrounding chambers forming a teleportation "moat". Why it was built is beyond human speculation.

6. Water Ballet

Another attempt to provide cover and movement options through unconventional means. I created a map that was submerged in water. I wanted to allow the vertical movement of the player to open up new possibilities of tactics. The the central area wouldn't work in any map except a water map.

Backstory: During the days of the Mjolnir program it was important to make sure that the military cyborgs were equipped for any situation that could be imagined. This massive tank was built beneath the South Pole of Mars' landscape for the purpose of training Mjolnir cyborgs in subaquatic combat manuevers. Since the dissolution of the Mjolnir program this facility has been repurposed for the training of paramedic crews and for simulating zero-g environments for vacuum crews.

7. Wormhole Arena

Another map that iterates a basic organization of 7 polygons. Using 5D space allows shortcuts to be created without having to use more than one polygon.

Backstory: The UESC [redacted] intercepted this Pfhor Darkship while en route to [redacted] and engaged it in battle. This Pfhor machine, colloquially called the "wormhole device", was discovered deep in the center of the ship. It is unclear what the Pfhor were doing with the device or what the purpose of the ship itself had been. [redacted] to investigate,[redacted] only able to confirm that the Pfhor device manipulated non-Newtonian physics [redacted]. Aside from a trivial trick in altering space no other purpose could be discovered despite [redacted] The captain of the [redacted] gave the order to pursue its standing orders and leave a beacon so another UESC ship could investigate. Several days later, as the UESC [redacted] was on its way the beacon went dark and the Pfhor Darkship hasn't been seen since.

thermoplyae wrote:the maps should also be incremental versions of each other; map 2 is map 1 with 7 polygons added, map 3 is map 2 with 7 more polygons added, and so on.

This is actually a good idea, in so far as anything related to crappy gimmick map packs is a good idea.

skraeling wrote:So, this discussion made me decide to take a break from my other mapmaking and pop out some 7 polygon maps of my own. I don't play netmaps so I don't have any intuitive idea for what makes them work or feel broken (weapon placement, etc.) let alone what would make a 7 polygon map work. Still I've made 7 maps with 1 bonus map and 1 alternate version of a map and I've put them up on Simplici7y. I also wrote backstories for each which you can read in the text document that comes with the maps or later in this post.

I started from when Ryoko lasted posted in this thread and finished up today. So, from sketching out ideas on my lunch break at work, mapping, redoing maps to fix glitches, texturing, lighting, adding sounds, and writing the backstory of each map it took me about five days to make 8 maps. And that's while going to work, spending freetime watching Sherlock Holmes (starring Jeremy Brett), playing Stacraft 2, playing Duke Nukem, reading Best American Poetry 1996, and going out of town for New Years Eve. Any procrastinators out there: stop making excuses.